Rural-mail-box outfit.



G. WILCOX.

RURAL MAIL BOX OUTFIT.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.14, m2.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

gr uyenb'c ETEURGE WILEUX.

GEORGE WILCOX, OF SOUTH NORlVICl-I, ONTARIO, CANADA.

RURAL-MAIL-IBOX OUTFIT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1916.

Application filed October 14, 1912. Serial No. 725,762.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Gnonon VViLoox, a citizen of Canada, residing at South Norwich, county of Oxford, Province of Ontario, Canada, have invented a Rural-Mail- Box Outfit, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in rural mail box outfits, and the objects of this invention are as follows: The signal or flag attached to the top of the box which is raised as a signal to the carrier when the patron places his outgoing mail or parcels in the box, is so constructed that it will be automatically lowered upon the opening of the door by the carrier to remove the contents, thus obviating the necessity of the carrier ever adjusting the signal or flag for any purpose. The box is mounted to swing upon its post and it is preferable that normally the door face the road, so that after the carrier has deposited mail or parcels he may turn the box, preferably with the door in the direction of his travel, indicating to the patron that there is mail in his box and forming a signal which the patron can see, though his box is situated half a mile or i more from his home, as many are, if the line of visionis clear. The mail box door is mounted to open upwardly and is constructed to pass backwardly over the top of H the box, which movement will throw the signal or flag down, if up, and remain normally in this position while mail or packages are being deposited orremoved. The mail box is so mounted that in addition to its turning movement about its pivot it has a longitudinal movement upon its support, so that the carrier may draw the box toward him by the use of a hook if so desired, as in the case of snow or where he does not desire to descend from his vehicle.

While the preferred form of this invention is illustrated upon the accompanying sheet of drawing, yet it is to be understood that minor detail changes may be made without departingfrom the scope thereof.

Figure 1 is a view in vertical longitudinal section of the rural mail box outfit constructed in accordance with this invention,

with the door open and parts shown in side.

elevation. Fig. 2 is a detail view in side elevation of the box support or pivot bar. Fig. 3 is a detail view in perspective of the box securing member and one part of the door latch. Fig.4 is a detail view in perspective of one member of the door hinge and door latch. Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the flag or signal. Fig. 6 is a detail view in perspective of the central section of the box. Fig. 7 is a detail view in front elevation of the box with the door removed. Fig. 8 is a detail view in side elevation of the box with the door closed and the signal or flag raised. Fig. 9 is a detail view in perspective of the positioning block.

The mail box is mounted upon a support or pivot bar 7% comprising a horizontal portion upon which the box rests with one end bent back upon itself on the under side to the center and then the under end bent downward at right angles and provided with a reduced portion at its lower extremity. A bracket a is secured to the post a with its upper end extending thereabove. The bracket a is provided at each end with members extending outward at right angles to the post, the upper member provided with an oblong guide slot s of greater length than the diameter of the pivot bar through which passes the vertical portion of the pivot bar and the lower member provided with a hole adapted to receivethe reduced portion of the lower end of the bar.

A square positioning block a is secured upon the pivot bar we adjacent the under side of the upper bracket member. Passing through the vertical part of the bracket a above the top of the post 2 is a loop bolt 0 with the pivot bar we passing through the loop thereof. A coil spring 70 surrounding the shank of the bolt between the free end and the bracket a normally holds the positioning block with one face against the bracket, but as the pivot bar is rotatably mounted in the oblong slot 8 and the loop of the loop bolt 0, the pivot bar m may be rotated and will be held by the positioning block in any of the four positions in which a vertical face of the block contacts with the bracket.

The mail box preferably comprises a central portion of sheet metal curved at the top with vertical sides and the lower ends of the sides bent inward toward each other at right angles to the sides to form the bottom of the box, and then bent downward at right angles to the bottom. An inverted U-shaped securing member T of preferably sheet metal, adapted to rest upon and receive within its sides the horizontal portion of the pivot bar m, is secured centrally along the bottom of the box, with its crown extending slightly therein, by securing its sides to the adjacent vertical extensions from the bottom of the box. The securing member T is preferably as long as the horizontal portion of the pivot bar and is adaptedto' slide thereover. The box may be of the same length, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, or may be shorter if desired.

It is preferable to attach the sliding securing member T to the horizontal portion of the pivot bar by rollers c and d mounted upon pins secured to the vertical, side walls of the member, which rollers are adapted to engage the under side of the upper horizontal portion of the pivot bar with roller 0 approximately positioned under the center of the box and roller d under the rear end of the box, so that when in the normal retracted position the rear roller (Z will engage in the notch upon the under side of the free end of the pivot bar and yet allow the box to be moved outward in the opposite'direc tion, as shown in dottedv lines in Fig. 1, and still be secured to the pivot bar. A bolt e is passed through the upper andlower sections of the horizontal portion of the pivot bar adjacent the vertical portion'thereof and secured in place by a nut fupon the under side thereof, which bolt will be engaged by the roller c'and act as a stop to limit the rearward movement of the box.

The back of the box is closed, and the front of the box is provided with a hinged door. In order to arrange the door so that when open the door will lie horizontally with the upper end extending over the top of the box a hinged member w, preferably formed of strip metal, is "securedcentrally to the inner side of the door with the lower portion secured to the lower edge of the d oor,'the lower end extending the'rebeyond, and the upper portion ofthe strip bent inward and upward and then around a pintle in the other member H of the hinge secured upon the under side of the top ofthe box. The upper free end of the strip extends above the pintle of the hinge and is'bent forward. Between the hinged membenH and the top of the box is'a spring plate 3 separated from the box top and" hinged member by washers surrounding the bolts that secure both to the top of the box. By this construction the extension of the upper free end of the hinged strip to coacts with the spring plate y tohold the door'in either the open or the closed position.

The signal 6 preferably comprises a shank Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by Washington, 1 0.

of twisted strands ofwirewith one end pivotally secured to the outside of the top of the box and the other endprovided with a plate of colored metal. The shank of the signal Z) normally will lie upon the top of the box and the shank intermediate its ends is bent upward at right angles, as shown in Fig. 8. As the top of the doorpasses over the. top of the box. when opened it will engage the angular portion of the signal and rotate it upon its pivot to'the position shown in Fig. 1.

Asa means for locking the door when closed and also to limit the rearward movement of the box the sides ofthe member T under the front of the box are cut and the forward portion bent upward against the bottom of the box and a vertical hasp, preferably of wire, is secured to the horizontal portion, which will also act asa stop as it lies in the path of the horizontal portion of the pivot member. An angular handle preferably of wire, may also be secured in the same manner to the horizontal portions of the member T. The bottom end; of the strip to extending below the bottom of the door is bent inward under the box, passed through the dependingihasp and is bent'back upon itself, toform a'loop for engagement with a'lock, to engage the'gouter surface of the door, as shown in. Figs. 1,4 and 8, and the, free end is curved outward to form a door handle.

What I' claim, is

In 'a device of the character described, a

pivot bar having horizontal" and vertical portions, a mail box mounted to slide upon the horizontal portion of the'pivot bar," a fixed bracket,"angular extensions on each end thereof, the upper extension provided i with a longitudinal elongated slot theloiigi -i tudinal sides, of whichsurroun'd andguide the vertical portion of the pivot barj'the lower extension provided with a bearing rotatably recelving and supporting the lower en d'of thepivot bar, an angular faced positioiiing block secured to the'pivotbar upon h i d de f t e p er x en ion, as p n P es ean engaging e r ve e fiXe;

ing block for normally retaining one of the angular faces of the block in contact with the fixed bracket,

GEORGE WILGOX.

Witnesses ROBERT ARMSTRONG- FJ N Y eWQLM addressing the Commissioner of late n ts,

bracket adjacent the position 

